Sunday, October 10, 2010

National Industries for the Blind Honors Leading Human Resources Advocate

October 8, 2010; Cincinnati, Ohio – National Industries for the Blind (NIB) honored Brenda D. Gumbs, vice president, human resources for Perfetti Van Melle, as the 2010 R. B. Irwin Award winner during an awards banquet at the “AbilityOne: People Make it Happen” Annual Training Conference hosted by NIB and the National Association for the Employment of People Who Are Blind (NAEPB) in Cincinnati.

The R.B. Irwin Award is NIB’s highest honor, presented annually to a professional who has devoted his or her career to creating and improving employment for people who are blind, or a volunteer who has demonstrated exceptional service and commitment to the mission of NIB. The award honors the memory of Dr. Robert B. Irwin, who was instrumental in the passage of the Wagner-O’Day Act and the creation of NIB in 1938.

Gumbs, based in Erlanger, Kentucky, was an active member of the NIB Board of Directors and assumed many critical leadership positions during her eight-year tenure, including vice chairperson, secretary, and chairperson of the Strategic Planning, Board Development, and Performance Management committees.

She has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired-Goodwill in Rochester, New York.

“We are pleased to honor Brenda Gumbs with the Irwin Award,” said Kevin A. Lynch, NIB president and CEO. “She has worked tirelessly throughout her career utilizing and applying her expertise in human resources, her advocacy endeavors and her organizational involvement to help and mainstream people who are blind or visually impaired and assist them with career options.”

About the National Industries for the Blind
NIB’s (www.NIB.org), mission is to enhance the opportunities for economic and personal independence of persons who are blind, primarily through creating, sustaining and improving employment. NIB and 89 associated agencies serve as the largest employer for people who are blind by the sale of SKILCRAFT® products and services through the AbilityOne Program. (Pictured left: SKILCRAFT logo and AbilityOne Program logo. SKILCRAFT slogan: Every Purchase Creates Jobs)

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